The Sound of the Wind
by Akakakushi
Summary: Leaving behind the beloved town, the tower of sunset, the travelers of the wind fight to where tomorrow lies. Farewell my friends, until the day we meet again. -Over 2000 hits! o3o
1. Unforgiven

Chapter One --- Unforgiven

Attn: disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the game or any of its names, characters, places, and story, they are rightfully owned by Nintendo, Square Enix, and The Game Des!ners Studio. I do however; own my version of the story and character names, and personalities along with character building storylines.

Attn: this is my first posted fanfiction story. I hope you like it. It is based on one of my files that I am playing through. It doesn't remain too strictly bound to the original confines of the Final Fantasy story, but it does have some familiar ties to it.

Attn: sooner or later, I'll be writing an Inuyasha fan fiction story based on me and my best friend's role plays. As soon as I get a break from homework, I'll keep working on it.

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The young Selkie girl slowly opened her weary eyes to the world. She surveyed her surroundings, taking in every little detail. Her aura racket lay battered and worn, just out of her reach. She sat up and took a deep breath, then s the sharp pain of the miasma filled her lungs and her vision clouded over with a red haze, it dawned on her that this was the last mistake that she would ever make. As she fell to the ground, she called for her mother, Rah Sie. Then, there was only silence and the crackling of a fire. She lay there among the bodies of her fallen comrades for some time. There was movement nearby, but she did not awaken to investigate it. She was already dead.

"…Phoenix down…!"

Many hours passed, and when she finally opened her eyes again, she was caught in the face by a shaft of pale moonlight, made even dimmer by the thick miasma. A familiar blue aura surrounded her, and a kind young Clavat boy was looking down at her from above. He smiled when her eyes focused on his.

"You're finally awake," he said happily, "I'm glad." She said nothing. Her voice was tight in her throat. His smile faded. "Rei-chan… you were dead when I found you." His voice had a touch of concern to it. Rei Luna sat up. She could smell burning wood, mixed with the sharp, painful scent of melting flesh. She looked alarmed at the Clavat. He looked sad, and gestured toward six simple graves, with their overturned caravan still lying in the middle of the road, burning.

"We're all that's left. The others are gone…I'm just lucky I had a plume of Phoenix Down to bring you back." The boy said. He laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't need your sympathy, Clavat." Rei spat, shrugging his hand away. He looked hurt.

"Saiyaran…my name is Saiyaran…" he muttered.

"I know that, you fool!" Rei Luna shot back wryly. She stood up and brushed a strand of her short blonde hair away from her blue eyes. She went to a nearby river and tried to soak the dirt and dried blood from her sky blue outfit to no avail. She sighed, gave up, and washed the dirt off her face. Even in the water, the miasma was strong, and it stung her eyes. She rubbed them quickly with clenched hands before it could do any permanent damage. Saiyaran sat down next to her. He stared into the water at his own reflection. Looking back up at him was a soft, round face with cow-like brown eyes. His brown hair covered most of his forehead, without a cap, headband or cowlick to change the way it fell across his face.

_I'm so plain… _he thought to himself. He looked up at the sky, which was being brushed with the first pale colours of the twilight.

"…there still might be time to make it home and save Tida, y'know… If we pulled it off, we'd be heroes…" Rei Luna muttered, "but we must hurry. We don't have long. I may already be too late."

Saiyaran nodded and picked up his heavy copper sword. As he was about to lift their chalice filled with myrrh, Rei Luna snatched it from him and hoisted it over her back.

"I hope you can keep up, Clavat. Because I won't slow down for the likes of you." She snapped.

Saiyaran sighed. _It's going to be a long walk home…_ he thought.


	2. A Sunset Soaked in Tears

Attn: I hope you liked the first chapter of my story. Like I said last time, I will, sooner or later, be doing an Inuyasha fanfiction story…as soon as my teacher lightens up on my homework load. If I don't get a break, I'll keep working on this one, and then start posting the Inuyasha one as soon as summer break starts. Can't wait!

Attn: Due to some rather irritating social issues at school that I have to deal with, I may be posting chapters a bit slower than before. If anyone is actually reading this, don't go nuts waiting. I'll get chapters up ASAP.

Attn: PLEASE write reviews! I need feedback in order to make changes to it to make it better! I had the first chapter up for a week and only one person wrote a review…it made me wonder why I was even doing this. And then I remembered—I like writing stuff! But please, don't make me feel like this story is one big act in futility… please review.

Attn: please forgive any miserable typos that my spell check doesn't catch. My "A" key is a bit jammed on my computer, so sometimes it doesn't work. Or, I could just be typing too fast!

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Chapter 2: Sunset Soaked in Tears

The closer Rei Luna and Saiyaran drew to their hometown of Tida, the more faded and bleak the landscape grew.

"A fell wind blows…something is very wrong…" Rei Luna said in a voice barely over a whisper. Saiyaran's face crumpled. It was too late to save Tida. They hurried onward anyway.

As they rounded the crest of the hill towards the village, the sight that met the young travelers' eyes froze them to the spot, leaving them unable to move or utter a word from their mouths.

The aura from Tida's crystal was gone. Thick, moldy spores covered everything in a layer of shadowy fuzz. Deadly-looking mushrooms sprouted up all over the place. There was no sign of life anywhere. The aura of Rei Luna's chalice surrounded them both as they entered their old home. Familiar sights were distorted to the point were they were unrecognizable. Saiyaran closely followed behind Rei Luna, being especially careful not to stray outside the chalice's protective aura. He froze when they passed the market. His family had been merchants. He tugged at Rei Luna's sleeve.

"We have to stop here." He said defiantly. Rei Luna turned to look at him. The pain in his eyes melted her heart a little. Saiyaran was sure that, if only for a brief instant, he saw the edge of her thin Selkic mouth curve up into a half-hearted smile.

"…alright." She said after a long while. She walked towards the moldy, rotting door of a dilapidated shop. As she took a hold of the doorknob, it came off in her hands, and the door itself fell to pieces. She tossed it aside, and then stepped over the worn doorframe. Saiyaran brushed against what used to be one of the walls of his home. The paint was so broken down by the miasma that it peeled off and left a grayish stain on his brown sleeve. He dusted it off and watched it disappear into the mist. Rei Luna looked disgusted at the state of her surroundings.

"…ugh…the smell of this place is foul. What the hell DID you sell here exactly?" she said, her nose wrinkled and her face contorted as she tried not to retch.

"We sold materials for weapons and shields and the like. We would sell them to people on their way to Alfitaria. It's…it **was **cheaper to buy the raw materials from us…" Saiyaran's voice trailed off.

"Then what smells like death?" Rei Luna asked bluntly. It was a dumb question- there was death everywhere around them. Saiyaran shot her a wry look. She stared at her feet to avoid his gaze. "Sorry… that was stupid…"

Something caught Saiyaran's attention on the floor. It was a dagger made out of some sort of dark blue crystal-like material. He picked it up and brushed a layer of black mold off it. He hacked a little when he inhaled it. Rei Luna peeked over his shoulder at it.

"Ooooh… pretty…" she said, her icy Selkic eyes sparkling slightly. Saiyaran pulled it away from her and jammed it in his satchel.

"Back off, Selkie! This belongs to me! Keep your thieving hands away from it!" he snapped. Rei Luna looked hurt.

"Hmph. Just like a Clavat to be so prejudiced and stereotypical. Why don't you go and farm some bannock wheat with the rest of your clan?" she shot back.

"Because I think they're all DEAD, fool!" Saiyaran sighed after this uncharacteristic outburst. Rei Luna looked a little stunned. She had never seen him mad before. "Fighting with you is like bickering with my older brother." He muttered.

"Your brother?" Rei Luna asked, her voice softening.

"Yeah…Turin…I wonder what happened to him…" he asked to no one in particular.

"Maybe it is best if you never found out." Rei Luna replied. Saiyaran nodded solemnly. Although he wanted to believe that his family had escaped before the miasma took them, he knew he would be trying to catch a fish in the air if he allowed himself to believe in such foolish dreams. "Anything else you want?" Rei Luna asked with a touch of sympathy in her voice. Saiyaran had been traveling with her for over a year now, and the tone she used was one that he had never heard from her before; it was as if she was speaking to a cornered, wounded animal or to a frightened young child.

"To leave his place," he said after staring at the four walls for some time, "this isn't my home anymore."

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Alright, so that was chapter 2. PLEASE review—don't make me lose faith in this site's popularity, because I've heard so much about it from so many people. Just take ONE MINUTE and review. C'mon people, it's one lousy minute away from your instant messaging windows. Your friends won't go insane without you. Trust me, I would know. People specifically IGNORE ME when I'm on msn and I really couldn't care less.


	3. Into The Twilight

W00t! Chapter 3 already? I thought I would have been grounded by now for doing this instead of my "Huge Super Massive English Project from HELL" as it is affectionately known as on my blog. I am very proud of this fact – don't ruin my high now!

Please feel free to ask about my Chapter 2 "Blooper Page". It is a direct result of what happens to me at 2:00am while trying to write a story and I say, "I'm bored. I feel like drawing." Go on. Ask. I DARE you.

I know you are probably going to eat me for this, but this chapter has BIT of a cliff hanger ending. Lol… and just to make it ever more painful for you, I don't think I'll be able to post for the next few days. Ha-ha. I pity you all. evil smirk

-ATTACK OF THE POSTING HOBGOBLINS-

(Round 1 of…many…?)

There are those few times in my life that I sincerely hate computers. Like that one time that I had a fire break out in my computer case because I overclocked my Athlon box. (Wow… that sounded so geeky…did that sound geeky to you? sob If I ever do anything geeky like that ever again, please give me a verbal slap in the face.)

Anyway… this is one of those "I hate computers" times. My computer doesn't recognize that my iPod/jump drive is plugged in; therefore I can't get files on or off it. Since I can't monopolize the computer with the internet on it, it may be some time before I post another chapter. If you don't like it—take up your complaints with my malfunctioning self-assembled computer with no internet that I use to type stuff. -- I sincerely apologize for this: I will try and get it to work a.s.a.p. so that I can post again!

Oh… and by the way, my keyboard is still hatched, so I may still screw up on my typing once in a blue moon. I hope to get a new keyboard soon. (Ooooh… I hope it's cordless…)

Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE computers? -.-#

.:Dawn Phoenix:.

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Chapter 3: Into the Twilight

Rei Luna's palms were sweating as she clenched the handle of her aura racket. Saiyaran's blade dragged in the dirt. They were both exhausted, but they had to keep running. Stopping now would probably mean certain death for the both of them. A large caterpillar-like monster stalked them in the shadows, just waiting to corner the pair and unleash its toxins.

"What… the hell… is that… DOING HERE! There aren't…supposed to be…monsters…in the village!" Rei Luna gasped, out of breath. Saiyaran shook his head.

"Look…around you… the village… fell to ruin. It's no…surprise… that a few demons…decided to call it home." Saiyaran's voice trailed away. After a minute, he stopped running, spun around, and held his sword and makeshift shield in a battle-ready position. Rei Luna skidded to a halt and turned to face him. If she had taken one more step, she would have gone sailing right out into the miasma. The chalice lay at Saiyaran's feet.

_He would have let me run out there, too._ She thought. She silently cursed him under her breath in ancient Selkic. "Fool! What the hell are you doing!" she demanded, "You're not seriously going to try and fight that thing, are you! You'll get your ass kicked, Clavat!"

A low hiss came from the shadows nearby. It had caught up with them.

"You got any better ideas? This road only leads to the main court. We'll be trapped like rats there." Saiyaran shot back, aiming his sword at the source of the hiss. A glowing orb of crackling blue energy appeared at his feet. Rei Luna grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the way, then caught the chalice with her toe and dragged it with her. A split second later, a blast of powerful thunder magic shattered the air.

"Idiot! Are you satisfied! You nearly got yourself killed! Now let's get out of here!" Rei Luna cried. Saiyaran smirked.

"So, you do care about me, don't you?" he asked slyly. Rei Luna shot him a razor-sharp glare. He shrank back. "Okay, okay, I get the message…" He picked up the chalice and raced after her, as she had already started tearing down the path.

What he didn't see was that she had a slight smile on her face.

They ran for as long as they possibly could before they simply could not run anymore. They threw open the gates to the main court and slammed them shut behind them. They heard the worm hissing and snarling angrily. It couldn't find them, so it started to wriggle its way back to wherever it first spotted the travellers. They listened to its gurgling and moaning noises slowly fade into silence. Rei Luna breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Saiyaran slumped against a nearby house.

"Do you think we're safe now?" He asked. Rei Luna stared up at the house with a horrified look on her face.

"N-no…I don't think so…" she stuttered. Saiyaran followed her gaze upward. Staring down at him was a large, red, glowing eye. The toxic mushrooms on the house twitched, releasing more of their spores, and the house itself rose off its foundations and seemed to come alive.

Saiyaran stared blankly at it for a second, too stunned to move. He then leapt up, and his hand strayed to the hilt of his copper sword. Rei Luna tightened her fists around the handle of her racket into a death grip. The thing seemed to stumble around the yard as if it were intoxicated. It bent over and shot dangerous-looking quills at the Clavat. Rei Luna pushed him out of the way once more, then took a multitude of the quills in her back. She fell to her knees in agony. Saiyaran ran to her aid.

"Rei-san!" he cried. She motioned to him with her hand, beckoning him to be quiet. He obeyed.

"I'm not through." She said as she staggered to her feet. She pulled an orange orb from her satchel. "Not just yet." The creature eyed the orb warily. She smirked. She had its attention. She tightened her grip on the orb, and a ring of fire began to swirl around her. This was the first that Saiyaran had seen of this, and he looked stunned.

"A stone of Fire? Where'd YOU get a stone of Fire!" she asked. She looked at him and laughed.

"I'm a Selkie. We like treasure. I saw a treasure chest. What can I say?" she smirked. "FIRE!"

A small bubble of flames engulfed the creature's base. It roared in agony. Saiyaran leapt up and cheered.

"Yeah! Way to go, Rei-san!" he shouted. Rei Luna shot him a terrified look as the monster turned to face him. It brought its one massive red eye to bear.

"Shut up, you fool!" she hissed, but it was too late. With a piece of gate that had fused to its body with mould, the monster dealt a fatal blow to Saiyaran. He crumpled to the ground and did not move. "Saiyaraaaan!" Rei Luna cried out. It was this outburst that sealed her destiny. The monster turned to her. There was no time to react; no time to get out of harm's way. All she saw was a huge piece of wooden fence smeared with the blood of her Clavat friend coming at her at astonishing speeds.

And then nothing but the infinite darkness.


	4. Requiem for a Dreamer

Hey! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I know that some of you were going a LITTLE nuts with that cliff hanger of a chapter last time. My life's been kinda hectic over the past little while between 2 NEW English assignments of DoooOOOoooOOm™, an evil music project of DoooOOOoooOOm™, computer problems of DoooOOOoooOOm™, (which ended in the complete and utter destruction of my iPod…) two big-ass track and field days of DoooOOOoooOOm™, and a massive heat wave of DoooOOOoooOOm™. School's almost over, my computer's fixed…there was a wad of cat hair jammed in the USB port… stupid cat……too bad my iPod is corrupted. I think I'm gonna cry again… I'm dying without my music. Luckily, I wrote this chapter out on paper long before my iPod died, so it hasn't suffered any ill-effects.

Found myself at Anime North about a week ago. It's one of the biggest anime conventions in Canada. Waited 2 hours outside in line. Thank god my iPod was still alive then, or I would have lost my sanity laughing at all the people in…questionable costumes. I managed to get a hold of the original FFCC soundtrack. I've been waiting for 2 years to get a hold of that disc…

I may one day soon be making a homepage for myself. If it burns your eyes, I am very sorry…I'm no good at all of that web coding crap. I'm still trying to figure out my Photoshop program… when I get it working and "un-ugly-ma-fied" I'll put random pieces of my artwork up, as soon as I get even remotely good at drawing.

Go me…

Dawn Phoenix

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Chapter 4: Requiem for a Dreamer

A light-hearted girl's laugh filtered down through the layers of Saiyaran's unconsciousness. It had an almost melodic quality to it. It seemed as though he had heard it before. Somewhere…

_But where…?_ He thought. He opened his eyes a tiny sliver. He was still in Tida's main court. A shimmering orb of light floated at about arm's length above his chest. Behind it was a massive golden bird-like creature. It was the strangest-looking bird he had ever seen. It had no discernable eyes, feet, or tail. Saiyaran looked around.

"Where did that laugh come from…?" he asked himself. The light flickered a little.

"It seems as though Armstrong hath done thee and thy companion a fair amount of damage." A gentle voice said. It was the voice of whoever had laughed earlier. Saiyaran continued to look for its source. Then, a frightening thought dawned on him. What had become of that demon house? He sat up, and then found the answer to his question. It lay in a smouldering heap a few metres away. He also saw Rei Luna's broken frame lying next to his. She looked very pale; even more so than usual. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the orb of light morph and change shape. Soon, a strange-looking girl, dressed in a white kimono, stood before him. Her hair, skin, eyes – everything about her, in fact- was as pale as the moonlight. She giggled again in her sing-song voice when she caught him looking at the remains of the demon. "That," she said, motioning towards the heap, "is Armstrong. I commanded Raem to spare thy frail mortal bodies from death…" she said. The bird-like creature let out an eerie cry in response to its name. It sent a wave of shivers down Saiyaran's spine. The girl smiled. "Not to worry. Armstrong is not dead. Neither is thy companion." She sang, and clapped her hands together twice. Saiyaran looked confused.

_I thought that thing being dead would be a GOOD thing…_ he wondered.

An orb of light erupted from Raem's beak and hovered over Rei Luna for a second, then entered her body. A few moments later, she opened her eyes and sat up. Of course, Saiyaran didn't see—he was too busy trying to figure out what to make of the albino girl.

_She certainly doesn't look like monster I've ever heard of before, but she doesn't fit in with any of the Four Tribes, either. _He thought to himself. She floated over to him, her feet at least a half a foot off the ground. She extended her pale hand toward their chalice. The caravanners watched in horror as their precious myrrh evaporated and turned into tiny points of light that seemed to drift on a nonexistent breeze to Raem. He seemed to feed off them. The girl giggled and turned back to Saiyaran. He suddenly found himself on his feet; he couldn't explain how or why. Without warning, the girl leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"For good luck." She said simply.

Saiyaran looked very stunned and confused, but Rei Luna looked downright vicious. Her eye twitched inadvertently. The strange girl pulled away. Given half a chance, Rei Luna could have killed her then and there, but she was afraid of what Raem would do to her if she did. But hell, she'd already died twice in the past week, how bad could round three be? She picked up her aura racket and got ready to strike. However, she was not given that half-chance. The girl faded back into her orb of light.

"Journey forth," she sang, "and seek the water of life."

At that, Raem flapped his broad wings once, and in a massive storm of wind, feathers, and light, both he and the girl were gone. Rei Luna and Saiyaran were swallowed by the light, and they found themselves back by the roadside. The graves of their comrades were beside them.

They were back where it had all began.


	5. Echo of Memories

Teehee! Chapter 5… finally.

Expect posting to be a little bit slower for the next little while. I have to crunch down and focus on my marks right now so that I get in good classes for high school, and all that good stuff… also, one of my b.f.f.l. Chiaki-chan is coming up from Tennessee for a month. I haven't seen her in a year, so I'll be spending a lot of time with her. Therefore, I won't be posting very frequently. I am sorry for this—I'll post as often as possible, and I'll try not to leave you with cliffhangers

W00t! Finally got my iPod fixed!

Anyway, this is the chapter I've liked the most so far. I hope you agree… it ended up being 5 pages long written down. Damn my hand hurt after it.

Chapter 5: Echo of Memories

For the longest time, Rei Luna said nothing to Saiyaran as hey walked down the long road to Alfitaria in the dim morning sunlight. No birds would sing for the arrival of the dawn. After about an hour, Saiyaran came to Rei Luna's side.

"What's with the silent treatment all of a sudden? If we're gonna be stuck on an endless journey with one another, we can't be giving eachother the cold shoulder the whole time! Where's your sense of camaraderie?" he asked. She shot him a freezing glare with her hawk-like Selkic eyes.

"Shut up, Clavat." She spat, and then increased her pace, leaving Saiyaran trailing behind at the back edge of the chalice's aura. He did not open his mouth again until they reached Alfitaria.

The buildings towered high above them as they entered the bustling Lilty capitol. The sun was already high in the sky. There were people rushing about, doing countless unknown tasks. To Saiyaran, they all seemed to wear the same hunted expression, as if something is chasing them down. Some Lilties looked at them strangely, as if to say, "What are the likes of YOU doing here, polluting our fair city?" Both Rei Luna and Saiyaran felt very unwelcome, and they drew in close, trying to make themselves as small as possible.

"You're breathing my air, Clavat." Rei Luna muttered as they stood crammed together in a crowd of short Lilties. Saiyaran finally stood up for himself.

"Why are you so sour all of a sudden? You weren't like this when we were travelling with the others…you were so much sweeter…" he asked.

"Yeah? Well, how about that. The others are dead. My father was one of them. How would you feel if you heard your father's dying cries as he was torn to pieces by a demon?" she shot back. The sparkle in her eyes faded a little.

"You're not telling me something," Saiyaran said softly, "if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were jealous of something…" his voice trailed off. "…was it because of that weird girl back home?"

Rei Luna's face instantly flushed. "N-no way!" she stuttered, "You wish, Saiyaran-kun." She muttered. Saiyaran laughed. She looked him straight in the eye. "What's so funny?" she asked. He laughed again.

"Two things," he replied, "firstly, that's the first time you've ever called me by name." Rei Luna stared at her feet. "And secondly, you're blushing…"

Rei Luna's eyes snapped up and locked with his. "Fool! I am not!" her face was still red. "I'm just angry!"

Saiyaran laughed. "Whatever you say." Then, his face attained a more serious expression. "Look…if you're mad because I called you a thieving Selkie…I'm sorry. I was just on a bit of an emotional trip, and that pendant…"

"Lemme guess. It belonged to some random member of your family, right?" Rei Luna interrupted. Saiyaran nodded. She sighed. "I shouldn't have made that farming comment either," she said, now staring straight at his sword, "you Clavats are a people of many talents.

Saiyaran smiled. It was the biggest compliment he had ever heard come out of Rei Luna's mouth.

Every inn or house they came to turned them down when they asked to stay, even with the flow of business so choked off by the miasma. One innkeeper even told them that they had no rooms left and to leave. As they walked away, a young Lilty girl with a heavy spear ran up to the front door. Saiyaran was sure that he heard the innkeeper say, "A vacant room? Of course, right this way." Saiyaran looked at Rei Luna. Clearly, she had heard it too, judging by the wry look on her face. He rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue at the back of the innkeeper's head. Rei Luna couldn't help but utter a small giggle.

The sun was already beginning to paint the clouds in its setting glow by the time Rei Luna and Saiyaran gave up and left Alfitaria. Come nightfall, they would be miles away from the city's limits, and they would finally be able to relax. When the sun finally did all below the horizon, the reds and golds of the sky were replaced by the violets and deeper hues of the twilight. They stopped in a large clearing and lit a fire. Rei Luna threw her racket to the ground and plunked their empty chalice next to the crackling flames. She then dropped to the dirt and stared at the chalice for a long time. Saiyaran sat on a nearby rock, his sword at his feet.

"Tell me something." He said softly, "When the others…y'know…"

"Died? Yeah I know." She finished for him. "You don't need to be afraid to say it. Not admitting grief only makes it harder to deal with in the long run."

"Fine then. When the others…_died_…" he said awkwardly, "…how come you didn't cry for your father?" he asked. She stared at the dirt, allowing her straw-coloured bangs to cast dancing shadows across her eyes in the firelight.

"I knew going into this that one of us might not survive the year. The night I accepted that fact…" she said after a long pause, "…I cried for hours on end. I just always assumed that… that it would have been me lying six feet under, not him. I guess I was expecting that we'd be separated one way or another, so I did all my sobbing and mourning in the sanctity of my own room, as opposed to out in the middle of miasma stream or something. What I didn't expect was that I'D outlive HIM out here. I didn't ask to be saved." She said sternly. Saiyaran's eyes narrowed. "I have no tears left to cry." She said sadly.

"Soo… you regret that I brought you back?"

"Not in the least. I was prepared to die, that's all. You should be, too. The odds are NOT in our favour, you have to admit." She laughed weakly.

There was a long silence. Somewhere far away, something that sounded very much like a wolf let out an eerie howl into the night.

Saiyaran stared at his satchel for a long while. Rei Luna smirked.

"What, are you expecting it to do a trick or something?" she asked with biting sarcasm. Saiyaran grabbed the worn leather bag and fished around in it for some time. Rei Luna watched him as he rifled through countless unknown objects. He pulled something out and held it in his clenched fist.

"How well can you catch stuff?" he asked. Before she could reply, he tossed the object to her. She snatched it from the air and opened her palm, then looked at Saiyaran, very confused.

It was the crystal dagger pendant.

"Just in case something should ever happen to me." He said. He smiled gently.

"I-I can't accept this…it was--" Rei Luna was cut off.

"My mother's? What's she going to do with it?" He grinned.

"But…why me?"

"Who else would it be? It's not like I have a little sister to give it to or anything."

"BUT--!"

"I want you to have it. I cannot take back a gift once offered." He said finally. Rei Luna gave up her arguing, smiled weakly, and slid the pendant around her neck. It shimmered on her neck in the dancing firelight.

"Saiyaran-kun… I thank you."

Saiyaran smiled. "Good. Finally. Now let's get some sleep. We've got a long road ahead of us." He curled up on the other side of the campfire and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Rei Luna laid her head on her pillow and pulled her blanket up over her shoulders.

A single silver tear rolled down her pale cheek.


	6. Behind the Mask

Well, it's finally here. Chapter 6, after so long. I am sorry that it took so long… my life's been REALLY crazy lately. (Crazier than usual, oddly enough)

This is the beginning of the end. I suspect that there will only be 8, 9 or MAYBE 10 chapters in total. So, I recommend you pay close attention to what will happen.

I'm about halfway through the first chapter of my Inuyasha story, for those of you who have been harassing me with e-mails telling me to "hurry the hell up" (You know who you are)

For those of you who have played through Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to a relatively late stage of the game (Year 6, 7 or later) and have seen how Amidatti compares the world to a loaf of bannock… well, this is for you. When I saw the ending of that sequence, I couldn't stop laughing. So, I've made fun of that whole thing quite nicely in this chapter. Enjoy. I know I enjoyed writing it.

Anyway, on with the show, so to speak.

.:: Lyn::.

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Chapter 6 – Behind the Mask

Rei Luna and Saiyaran walked for some time along the road heading west. After a while, they heard an eerie voice calling to them. A caravan full of Yukes stood in the road ahead. The one who appeared to be the leader stepped forward and confronted Saiyaran.

"Clavat, you seem lost." He said. Saiyaran's eyes narrowed. He stood protectively in front of Rei Luna.

"Well, we're not. Can we help you?" He said with a touch of mistrust in his voice. He didn't know what this Yuke wanted, but he intended to find out. The Yuke's voice seemed to soften. Saiyaran knew that behind his mask, underneath his helmet, he was probably smiling.

"My name is Amidatti, leader of the Shella caravan. It's unusual to see travellers on the roads in such turbulent times as these. Did you lose yours?" The Yuke said. Rei Luna stepped forward.

"Something like that," she said, "what about you? Where are you people headed?" she stared at her feet. She had always been uncomfortable around Yukes. She found them spooky. She heard a rumour about them having no bodies, only souls, and hadn't been comfortable in their presence since.

"Tida. You're welcome to join us." He said. Saiyaran looked at Rei Luna awkwardly, then nodded. Amidatti continued as he began walking down the path. "We heard from Sol Racht of the Alfitaria caravan that after the village fell to ruin, a myrrh tree grew there. I heard that it grew from the hopes and dreams of the villagers who were waiting for the caravan's return, but those hopes also gave rise to a ferocious demon. They say that no one from the village survived. Did you know that?"

Rei Luna looked uncomfortable again.

"We know." She said heavily.

The three of them talked for a long time as they continued down the road. Most of the conversation was very deep and philosophical. The rumours that they had heard about Amidatti being eccentric were true.

_Either he's very wise, or completely off his gourd._ Saiyaran thought as they walked, only half-listening.

"Saiyaran, was it? There's something I must ask you to look at." Amidatti said, slowing to a stop. He went through his bag and pulled out a slightly mouldy loaf of bannock. "Rei Luna, you should look, too."

"Whoop-dee-do. A loaf of bannock." Rei Luna remarked.

"Umm, sir… it's kinda mouldy." Saiyaran pointed out politely.

"Yes, it is a loaf of bannock, but at the same time, no it is not. It is a model of the world. And yes, its surface is slightly covered in mould, but again, it is not mould. It represents the Miasma. I bought this for a hefty sum, I'll have you know." Amidatti announced.

_Yep, he's totally crazy._ Saiyaran thought.

_I'll bet 1000 gil that he got swindled by a bandit. And, he fell for it, too. Hook, line, and sinker. What a loser._ Rei Luna thought with a smirk on her face.

"There is only one shortcoming to this world model. There is no representation of the crystals at all. I suppose that this model is meant to show what would become of our world without the crystals' auras. What do you think would happen?" Amidatti asked them.

"I dunno. Let's eat it and find out!" Rei Luna said, tearing off a relatively mould-free piece and stuffing it into her mouth.

* * *

Rei Luna lay in the caravan, sick as a dog, for hours as the sun set. Saiyaran piped up with a wicked smirk on his face.

"Well, that was about the dumbest thing I've ever seen anyone ever do. Congratulations, Rei-chan. You deserve a prize." Saiyaran chuckled. He sat beside her.

"Shut up and quit laughing at me or I'll... I'll... vomit on you." Rei Luna snapped weakly. Instead of carrying out her threat, she smacked him upside the head and shot him a warning glance. Saiyaran rubbed his head and got up, preparing to jump off the caravan. Rei Luna grabbed his arm. "Don't go…" she aid softly. He smiled and sat back down. She eventually fell into a light sleep. He stayed by her side.

"You two are so close. It's amazing for two people of different races to be so… tight. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love." Amidatti said in an airy tone. Rei Luna shot up, instantly awake, knocking Saiyaran backward.

"N-no way! You are completely deluded, old man, you hear me?! DELUDED!!" Saiyaran snapped. Rei Luna just stared at him, looking strangely confused. Both of their faces were bright red.

"As you say…" Amidatti replied, sounding unconvinced.


	7. Hoshizukiyo

Ohmygawrsh guys I'm so sorry… it's been what, a year or more since I've posted a chapter? I feel so guilty now… sorry…

This is really just a quick fluffy filler chapter to get myself back into the mood for writing this story.

No, this isn't the original. I dunno where the hell _it_ got to, but I looked. -shrugs-

The original chapter wasn't anything like this, but I'm actually kind of glad that I lost it. The way I had it set up before, there would have been a big gap. I filled said gap with this wannabe chapter.

I can't tell you how many times I spelled Rei-chan's name wrong when I wrote this. I now have two completely unrelated characters in two completely unrelated stories, both with the name Rei. (or Rey) Too bad the other "Rey" is a boy. O.o"

"Hoshizukiyo" – the name of this chapter – roughly means "Starry Moonlit Night". It also happens to be the ending song for this game. One could take this as foreshadowing that we are drawing near to the end of this story. Three, _maybe_ four chapters at most. It depends on how long it takes for me to get to an ending with which I am satisfied.

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Chapter 7 – Hoshizukiyo

The path before the caravan narrowed, and the scenery grew more and more bleak and desolate with every step. Discomfort and reluctance grew within Saiyaran and ReiLuna the closer they drew to their abandoned home. Neither of them wished to return to the place of their birth, for their last experience had left nothing but a bitter taste, harsh bruises, and stinging memories – scars that refused to heal. The two became increasingly disheartened, but, without any other options to pursue, followed the Shella caravan grudgingly.

Night fell hard and fast, and with it, an eerie, foreign chill filled the air. It wasn't long before Sai could see his breath.

"We'll stop here for the night," Amidatti announced shortly after the final rays of light had faded from view, "It's too dangerous to continue walking this road after dark." He pulled an ancient-looking artifact from his rucksack. It was ring-like and adorned with mysterious runes that seemed to radiate a red, pulsating energy. Extending his hands over a small circle of firewood, he murmured something under his breath; almost instantly the wood caught fire and a blaze roared to life. The heat flowed outward in waves, washing over Sai and ReiLuna, filling them with relied and comfort neither of them had felt in what seemed like ages.

The Yukes of Shella dozed off quite quickly, leaving Sai and Rei to their own devices. Soon, the only sounds were the rhythmic breathing of the Yukes, the occasional pop from the fire, and the near-constant chatter of Rei's teeth as she shivered.

"Still cold, Rei-chan?" Sai asked sympathetically. He imagined she would be – her meager outfit didn't appear to be particularly warm. She shot him a dumb glance.

"N-no," She shivered back, "I-I'm s-shivering b-because I f-f-feel like it." If sarcasm had a physical form, it would have dripped – no, oozed – from her frozen words. Sai dug around in his pack for a minute, then pulled out a worn brown blanket and offered it to Rei. Clearly well-used and threadbare in many places, but a blanket nonetheless, Rei accepted it without a second thought, wrapping it around herself and covering as much of her exposed skin as possible. Sai slumped a little closer to the fire.

"T-thank you." Rei said quietly, still trying to calm her shaking. Sai smiled and nodded his response. Taking the blanket with her, she walked over to the caravan and lay her racket inside. She also paused momentarily to give their exhausted papaopamus a star carrot to reward the creature's constant efforts. The great beast gratefully accepted this unexpected treat, eating it quickly, then laid his massive head down and closed his gentle black eyes for the night. Leaving her racket in the caravan, Rei stumbled back to her place by the fire and sat down there once more. The smile still hadn't left Sai's face.

"I-I'm sorry for…y'know…judging you and treating you badly like I did," The words came off Rei's tongue clumsily, as if she could barely utter them as quietly as she did. "Can you forgive me?"

Sai's eyes widened, taken aback momentarily by Rei's unexpected change of attitude.

"What's put you in such a talkative mood? This is…unlike you, to say the least." He said. Rei's eyes narrowed playfully, and she gave him a quick, light punch to the shoulder.

"Don't change the subject on me. I'm trying to be serious." Her smile faded. She didn't have to tell him – Sai knew by her face that she meant what she was saying. "Can you ever forgive me?" She reiterated. A foreign expression crossed her face as she did this; it was one that Sai had never seen. He couldn't quite pin it down – it was somewhere between concern, affection, and mild panic. His own expression softened once more.

"I— "

A twig snapped in the bush directly behind Rei. A tiny shriek passed her lips as she reached for her weapon, only to find it not there. Her eyes widened with sudden fear. A low growl issued from the brush. In a flash, Sai was in front of Rei, sword unsheathed and shield at the ready. There was a kind of ferocity that burned in his eyes that was unknown to Rei – she stared at him, bewildered, for a few moments. Sai stood there, motionless, for a minute or two, his ears trained on the forest and his eyes locked on the bush. A moment later, as quickly as it had approached, the creature melted back into the shadows and silently vanished. Still, Sai waited before dropping his arms to his sides. He sheathed his sword and dropped his heavy shield to the ground with a thud. As soon as she saw his hands were free of any potentially lethal objects, Rei leapt up and threw her arms around Sai from behind. He yelped quietly in surprise.

"I can't believe you fought like that to… protect me…" she trailed off, her voice small.

"Well, actually, I didn't really do any fi—" Sai started.

"Shut up, you're ruining the mood." She whispered. She finally released her deathgrip hug from around his shoulders. Sai flopped to the ground, laying his head down on the soft earth. A moment later, he felt the weight of Rei's head on his shoulder. He glanced over and found her huddled next to him, looking drowsy. "Thank you, anyway…" she said simply.

"Anytime," Sai replied coolly, "but seriously – why are you acting so different?"

"I dunno…"She answered sleepily, rubbing her eyes and drawing the blanket up to her chin. "Maybe it was that mouldy bread I ate…" her voice fell silent. A moment later, her breathing slowed and deepened, and sleep claimed her. The crystal pendant glittered blissfully around her neck, a tiny corner of it peeking out from beneath the blanket. Sai sighed and gazed up into the darkness for a minute. A thousand stars flickered and danced in the shadows of the night.

Somewhere far away, a lone wolf howled its sad requiem to the heavens.


End file.
